California Awards $17 Million To 142 Hospital Emergency Departments To Embed Behavioral Health Navigators

On September 30, 2022, the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) awarded more than $17 million to 142 hospitals with emergency departments (EDs) to fund the hiring and training of navigators to help expand access to addiction disorder and mental health services. The navigators will serve as intermediaries to connect ED consumers to outpatient behavioral health treatment. Each hospital received $120,000.

The awards were part of Round 2 of the CalBridge Behavioral Health Navigator Program, a DHCS project through a contract with the Public Health Institute's CA Bridge program. The funding enables hospitals with EDs (comprehensive, basic . . .